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Classes & GradesMWSE AE generally suggests high school completion participants focus on one credit at a time.Participants may work on courses outside of class, but all unit tests and exams must be completed inperson. **Remote, online-proctored test and exam appointments may be available for very limited situations and will be determined on a case-bycase basis.Grading ScaleA 100-93%B 89-87C 79-77D 69-67F 59% and belowA- 92-90%B 86-83%C 76-73%D 66-63%B- 82-80%C- 72-70%D- 62-60%Excellent achievementGood achievementSatisfactory achievementMinimum – acceptable achievementFailureCertificates, Diplomas, & GraduationMWSE Adult Education recognizes the time, effort, and hard work that goes into earning a highschool diploma or GED diploma. GED graduates can receive their diploma from the State ofMichigan through a third-party website (www.diplomasender.com) at any time after they havepassed their final test. In addition, during the month of June, GED graduates will receive aCertificate of Recognition from Hillsdale Community Schools for participating in the MWSE AdultEducation Program.Participants who finish the requirements for their High School Diploma by the last day of classdesignated for 2022 diploma graduates will receive a signed transcript and diploma from HillsdaleCommunity Schools in June of that school year. If a student completes the requirements before thesigned transcript and diploma are available and needs a letter for an employer, training program,post-secondary institution, or other organization, a letter of Confirmation of High School Diploma canbe written for the participant.MWSE Adult Education will usually host a graduation ceremony or celebration event in June if thehealth and safety of the participants and community members will not be compromised by hostingsuch an event.Literacy & Math SkillsParticipants who need to improve their basic reading and math skills before continuing with HighSchool Diploma or GED materials, or who already have a diploma or equivalent but need toimprove their skills to advance in their education or career, are placed into the Literacy & Math Skillsprogram. TABE results will be utilized to create an individualized learning plan for each participantwith the goal of improving literacy and math skills.7

English as a Second LanguageParticipants seeking to improve their English language skills or to prepare for the U.S. Citizenship testwill be placed in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. MWSE AE accepts all EnglishLanguage Learners, from beginner to advanced proficient levels. TABE CLAS-e results will be utilizedto create an individualized learning plan for each participant with the goal of improving Englishreading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.In addition, MWSE AE imbeds civics and citizenship content into our ESL courses to help individualsseeking to prepare for the naturalization test and to become a U.S. citizen.Connect to Supportive ServicesMWSE AE partners with Michigan Works! Southeast, among other agencies, to offer wrap-aroundservices. Individuals may be eligible for additional supportive services to help remove the barrierspreventing successful completion of educational or career goals.PartnerMichigan Works! SoutheastYouth Services (Ages 16-24)Michigan Works! SoutheastJob Seeker Services (Ages 18 )College & Career Access CenterLISD TECH CenterAdult Learning ServicesJackson CollegeJackson District LibraryServices Available* Assistance with HSE (GED ) completion Career exploration Leadership development Skills training for employment Interview skills & resume building Job preparation assistance Paid work experience Other supportive services Assistance with HSE (GED ) completion Veteran “Priority of Service” Career advising Professional workshops Career training Employment referrals Other supportive services Free college and career guidance Financial aid and scholarship application assistance College application and admissions advising Career-specific training (certification) Possible dual-enrollment Tuition assistance may be available Career-specific training (certification) College degrees Possible dual-enrollment Tuition assistance may be available JC representatives attend MWSE AE classes each monthto serve as a connection for students Free workshops Community events Family literacy and adult enrichment activities*Services available may be based on eligibility requirements. “Other supportive services” may include assistance with: transportation,tuition, childcare, and other work related costs.8

Additional InformationClick here to complete a referral form to get more information about these supportive services.MWSE AE will share this referral with our partner(s) so they can follow-up with the participant.MWSE Adult Education PoliciesSchedule & CancellationsProgram Year ScheduleThe MWSE AE program year schedule follows the same school year schedule as Hillsdale CommunitySchools with a few exceptions. In-person classes are also closed in observance of federal holidays.2021-2022 Program Year ScheduleJuly 19thAugust 27thSeptember 6thSeptember 7thNovember 11thNovember 22nd – 26thDecember 20th – 31stIn-Person Summer ClassesBeginLast Day of Summer ClassesJanuary 17thNo ClassLabor DayClasses BeginApril 4th – 8thNo ClassVeteran’s DayNo ClassThanksgiving HolidayNo ClassWinter BreakJune 3rdFebruary 21stMay 30thJune 10thJune 19thNo ClassMartin Luther King Jr. DayNo ClassPresident’s DayNo ClassSpring BreakNo ClassMemorial DayLast Day of Class for 2022diploma graduatesLast Day of Class beforesummer breakProposed Graduation*2022 Summer Class schedule to be determined.In-Person Class & Virtual Office Hours ScheduleMWSE AE offers blended instruction, which means that participants are encouraged to attend inperson classes while also working on their coursework online, outside of class. MWSE AE offers inperson classes, virtual office hours, and the option for participants to work remotely andindependently.Some MWSE AE staff may offer virtual office hours. During this time, staff will be available to assistindividuals working online at home who are unable to attend in-person class. Virtual office hourscould, for example, consist of a phone call check-in or a Zoom tutoring session. Participants can signup for a virtual office hours appointment by contacting their instructor. All virtual office hoursappointments will be on a first come, first serve basis.When in-person classes or virtual office hours are not available, participants may still access most oftheir coursework online, outside of class, but must understand that MWSE AE staff may not beavailable to provide immediate assistance. All in-person class schedules are available in our classrooms and on our website here. Please note that classes operate on a typical schedule, but availability is subject to change. MWSE AE staff are only guaranteed available during scheduled in-person classes or virtualoffice hours.9

CancellationsAll cancellations are posted in advance if possible; however, due to illness, inclement weather, oremergencies, in-person classes may be cancelled unexpectedly. In the case of inclement weather,MWSE AE will choose whether or not to cancel classes based upon the decisions made by localschool districts. If local schools cancel class, MWSE AE will also cancel in-person class. Depending onthe circumstances of the in-person cancellation, MWSE AE staff may or may not be available forvirtual office hours during this time. These decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis and will becommunicated to participants.Attendance PolicyParticipant AttendanceParticipant attendance includes in-class and online, outside of class, participation. Attendance isreported to the state on a monthly basis and does impact program funding, so participants must signin/out during each class or study session.MWSE AE is strict when it comes to tracking attendance; however, we are flexible with ourparticipants’ schedules. We understand that adults have many responsibilities to balance and wewant to work around potential barriers. It is highly encouraged that participants attend class inperson and study online as much as possible. MWSE AE suggests that participants plan to spendroughly 5 hours per week on their studies. Participants that meet their educational goals are thosewho dedicate the necessary time and effort.Enrollment VerificationEnrolled participants must log at least 12 hours of verified instructional time with MWSE AE beforebecoming eligible to receive verification of enrollment. Requests for such documentation must bemade at least one week in advance.Classroom PoliciesComputer UsageComputer usage in the classrooms is strictly reserved for educational and career purposes only.Participants must conduct themselves in a reasonable, efficient, ethical, and legal manner.Cell PhonesCell phone use is permitted in the classroom solely for educational purposes. All other cell phoneuses are prohibited. Cell phone volume should be set to silent, and all calls must be taken outside ofthe classroom. If cell phone usage is disruptive to others or distracting, the person in question will beasked to leave class and return when they are finished.Children/GuestsPlease refrain from bringing children/guests to class. MWSE AE acknowledges that childcare andtransportation issues can cause conflicts with scheduling. However, classroom distractions must bekept to a minimum so all participants have an opportunity to be successful.Food/DrinksFood is not permitted in the computer lab. Drinks are permissible if they are in sealed containers andkept away from the computers.Substance UseMWSE AE is committed to providing a safe and productive learning environment. In keeping with thiscommitment, substance use of any kind is strictly prohibited on the premises with the exception of10

tobacco use in designated smoking areas. Participants may not attend class under the influence ofdrugs and/or alcohol.Online Learning PoliciesAccess to Courses Online, Outside of ClassAll participants can access their classes online, outside of class by visiting our website here. Links toeach of our courseware systems can be found on our homepage. Participants may access theircourseware at any time on any day of the week.However, it is important to understand that we have limited, shared licenses for our learning software.This means that only a certain number of participants can access their work at the same time. Duringscheduled in-person classes, individuals working in-person will have priority when logging in to thesystems. We request that participants working online, outside of class try to work around thesescheduled times. If all licenses of our software are occupied, participants will receive a log-in error.When this happens, the participant should try again at a later time.Monitoring Online CoursesMWSE AE will regularly monitor all use of our software systems outside of class. The time thatparticipants are actively logged into their courses will be reported as distance learning attendance.In addition, participants are required to periodically check-in with their instructor by either attendingclass in-person or setting up a virtual office hours appointment.Academic IntegrityMWSE AE believes in academic and individual integrity. With the ability to work online, outside ofclass comes an added responsibility to ensure work is completed with honesty and integrity. MWSEAE will not tolerate academic dishonesty of any sort and reserves the right to suspend or revokedistance learning options for any individual who does not choose to follow these expectations.CommunicationMWSE AE believes strongly that good two-way communication with participants is crucial toproviding the best educational experience. We use phone calls, emails, and text messages to stayconnected with participants. In addition, we may also use Zoom, Facebook, Facebook Messenger,and other tools to stay in touch.All participants will automatically be added to our contact list for the various communication toolsmentioned above. If you do not wish to be contacted in any of the above ways, please contact anMWSE AE staff member.Follow-Up NoticeMWSE AE is required to follow up with you for up to 2 years after you leave our program, regardless ofif you have completed or not. Follow-up will consist of questions pertaining to your education andemployment status and general feedback about your experience with our program. Answeringthese questions will only take a few minutes but it is very important to us. MWSE AE appreciates yourhelp with this process!11

Participant AgreementAll participants are required to sign the Participant Agreement. This is a digital form on whichparticipants agree to the terms and conditions of participation set by MWSE AE. Participants mustacknowledge that they have read this handbook and understand that they will be held responsibleto adhere to the outlined policies. In addition, all participants are also required to agree to the termsand conditions of participation set by the State of Michigan Office of Adult Education.COVID-19 ResponseIn response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, MWSE AE has implemented our Return to Class Planwhich focuses primarily on the health and well-being of our staff and participants. This plan describesthe steps we will take to return to in-person classes safely, minimizing exposure and preventinginfections. Details of the plan are highlighted and will remain in effect until announced otherwise.MWSE AE has designed all programs with the flexibility to shift to entirely online, outside of classlearning if needed.COVID-19 ResponsePartner Policies & ProceduresMWSE AE participants will adhere toall policies and proceduresestablished by partner organizationsthat host our classes.Physical DistancingMWSE AE will take the additionalactions to maintain physicaldistancing and limit shared surfaces.Clear CommunicationMWSE AE is committed to continuousand clear communication aboutinformation, policies, and proceduresregarding COVID-19.What to Expect *May include General health screening prior to entry Temperature checks prior to entry Facemasks

in partnership with Hillsdale Community Schools Participant Handbook Adult Education Teachers Tamara Hindes Barbara Seitz (517) 207-3295 (517) 841-5627 thindes@mwse.org bseitz@mwse.org Adult Education Facilitator Deborah Benn (517) 260-0118 dbenn@mwse.org Adult Education Lead Teacher Catherine Ellis (517) 905-4273 cellis@mwse.org